Suddenly, everything is going to seed. Rain and heat earlier in the summer prompted the crabgrass to spread aggressively, and other tall grasses are thrusting up seed stalks galore. Poke weed is setting its berries, as is the invasive bittersweet. The wild amaranth is budding. The flame-shaped seed pods of the sumac are forming and brightening.

The good news is that the time of seed-setting is also a time for harvest. The potatoes are already dug; green beans are starting to produce enough to freeze; we’ve relished the first ears of corn from our small patch. There’s so much zucchini, and even the fussier yellow squash is producing heartily. The first slicing tomatoes offer tasty succulence to our table; cherry tomatoes are so profuse it is time to roast and freeze. Even when some crops do not do well (too many rabbits and squirrels), this time of summer is joyful for the gardener or anyone who loves fresh produce.

About those weedy things: Right now before they fully go to seed is the moment to take action — pull, whack, yank, mow. The sooner you disrupt the seed production and prevent dispersal, the fewer weeds will be choking your gardens in the future. But it takes fierce diligence — even mowed weeds sometimes adjust and keep trying to set seed closer to the ground.

Nationally, we are also facing a time of abundance, both good and bad. President Joe Biden’s decision not to seek reelection but to turn the nomination over to Vice President Kamala Harris was like a deep soaking rain after a threatening dry spell. Democrats have responded with a joyous blossoming of enthusiasm and energy.

I find myself barely registering the historic nature of the nomination of a Black woman to this office — what thrills me is the pleasure of hearing enthusiastic affirmation of values I believe in deeply — equal rights for all; support for those in need; protection of reproductive and voting rights; robust, high quality public education; climate protection; workers’ rights; corporate responsibility and a fair tax policy.

The ability of Harris and her ebullient vice presidential nominee, Tim Walz, current governor of Minnesota, to talk about these values with huge smiles and clear, articulate words has, of course, brought out the worst in their Republican opponents: petty name-calling substitutes for substantive criticisms.

“Communist” and “socialist” are words I heard as a small child as my parents reacted with disgust to the McCarthy hearings,when lives were destroyed with those words. It is no surprise that the toxic adviser to Sen. Joseph McCarthy, Roy Cohn, was also a mentor to our former president.

Speaking of toxicity, Project 2025 turns out not to be a prescription for a healthy future but more like DDT or glyphosate, which not only kill the target weed but spread poison that destroys eagles, bees and fish, damages human reproduction, and wreaks deep damage throughout the landscape.

A far better strategy is to dig out the weeds, pull up the vines by the roots, and catch the seeds before they ripen and disperse. A lot of work? Yes! But in the end, far more effective than temporary suppression.

Likewise, as a nation, we need to leap into high gear to corral the seeds of hate, cleanse away the toxic spray of disinformation, and yank up the roots of ugly intolerance. By rejecting the view that it is just fine to classify some people as lesser — particularly people who are female or have brown skin — we can dig up the old pernicious rationale for actions that favor the few and harm the many.

As we heard movingly at the Democratic convention, when we watch out for each other, and make sure all of us can thrive, the whole country is safer, healthier and happier.

Traditionally, harvest season is also the time to save seeds to ensure a healthy crop in the future. Here our task is to remind ourselves of the core values of our Constitution, however imperfectly followed or achieved so far, and to protect the seeds of decency, commitment and access that will ensure future harvests of a robust democracy.

It’s harvest season — that means hard work round the clock; this year the sheaves we labor to gather will determine the viability of our democracy for generations. By the way, a similar word “sheave” means a type of small pulley wheel that smoothly transfers power. Shoulders to the wheel, folks.

Judy Wagner lives in Northfield.